Select Local Merchants

Begun in 1985 as a strictly volunteer-based project of the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship, Plowsharing Crafts grew over the years into a thriving nonprofit with two locations and an expansive inventory of eclectic wares from around the globe. The staff is committed to selling fair-trade art and handcrafts in order to provide much needed income and nurture the businesses of artisans, 70% of whom are women, from more than 45 developing countries around the world. The selection of items ranges from housewares to jewelry and beyond, many of which are made with sustainable and recycled materials or from food grown with sustainable methods.

Launched 5 years ago, Mattress Source has grown from a plucky family-run enterprise to a regional institution, soothing aching backs and brightening up dream times with masterfully engineered mattresses of all makes and types. Models from brands such as Simmons, Corsicana, Restonic, and Spring Air enrich the third of your life spent asleep and the eighth of your life spent practicing trust falls with thick, long-lasting constructions designed to support and relax the body. The inventory promotes deep sleep and good health through a range of mattress types, from the strong, nonsagging innerspring design to the pillowy comfort of sheets of memory foam and latex.

A tall mural with cheerful, stylized images of antique home furnishings and a well-placed arrow points visitors to the cherry-red front door of Little Shop Around the Corner. Inside the charming resale shop, tail-wagging vintage merchandise and upscale antique furniture, art, jewelry, and china await to be adopted by new owners. The merchandise is sourced from donations to the Missouri Botanical Garden, located just around the corner. Garden Emeritus Trustee Evelyn Newman dreamt up the idea for the store, whose proceeds benefit the Garden's research and educational initiatives aimed at preserving botanical life, conserving resources, and combating climate change.

Gypsy Caravan Market
Marking its 40th anniversary, this year’s Gypsy Caravan Market amasses the antiques and handcrafted goods of more than 300 vendors to benefit the St. Louis Symphony. Artisans hailing from 20 states ply marketplace wares including furniture, clothing, art, and antique-traffic violations as visitors wend their way through the impressive displays. Kids can park themselves in the Children's Corner, where they’re greeted with activities, while adults sample barbecue, gyros, hot dogs, ice cream and other edibles from more than 15 food vendors.

Sunshine Daydream’s resourceful staff unveils a collection of hard-to-find vintage gifts that stand as tributes to days past with tie-dyed threads, hippie-era band merchandise, candles, and incents. The periwinkle-colored Grateful Dead Blue Bear Mandala tapestry ($26.99) allows buyers to embellish empty walls with Sanskrit-inspired designs or cover up holes kicked in by temperamental Rockettes. Transform stark rented flats into personal temples with wood-and-bamboo door beads ($22.99) that fall in a whimsical arch formation. The shop also pays homage to contemporary pop culture with T-shirts ($19.99-$26.99) declaring love for cult classics such as The Big Lebowski, Dazed and Confused, and The Hangover. Guests can occupy their palms with a variety of hand drums ($24.99) designed for drum-circle frequenters and stock traders that sell via Morse code.